Mali’s security forces and government faced uncertainty on Wednesday, following a coordinated insurgent attack that targeted critical sites, including an elite police training academy and the country’s main airport.
The assault, carried out by militants affiliated with Al Qaeda, left several police trainees dead, took over parts of the airport, and severely damaged the presidential jet.
Analysts and diplomats have labelled the attack a significant blow to the ruling junta, which has faced growing challenges in maintaining stability. Both the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union quickly condemned the violence.
While Mali’s government has yet to provide a confirmed death toll, state television acknowledged on Tuesday evening that there had been “some” fatalities. Disturbing footage circulating online, though unverified by Reuters, showed charred remains of bodies inside the police academy’s sleeping quarters, with the attack leaving a trail of destruction.
Flights at Bamako’s main airport resumed on Wednesday morning after the violence, which was claimed by Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), a group affiliated with Al Qaeda. In a statement, the group claimed that “hundreds of enemy soldiers were killed and wounded” during the attack. The militants also reported the destruction of six military aircraft, including a drone, with several others partially disabled.
This assault occurred on the 64th anniversary of the founding of Mali’s gendarmerie, raising suspicions that the timing was symbolic. A United Nations report supported this theory, describing the attack as a “strong show of force” by JNIM, and suggesting that the assault was likely pre-planned and carefully executed.
The attack also came just days after junta leader Assimi Goita declared that Mali’s military had “considerably weakened armed terrorist groups.” This assertion now faces scrutiny following the insurgents’ show of strength. As a diplomat in Bamako told Reuters, “This is seriously impacting their credibility on the security front.”
The insurgents appear to have targeted military assets at the airport, with footage showing armed men firing into a VIP terminal and setting a government-owned Boeing 737 plane alight. Other videos depicted a militant firing near a World Food Programme plane. Reuters confirmed the authenticity of these videos through satellite imagery analysis.
Jean Jezequel, Sahel Project Director at the International Crisis Group, noted that the insurgents’ ability to hold the airport for hours represents a stark shift in the scale and ambition of militant operations. “This attack is way more ambitious than the previous attacks back in the second half of the 2010s. It directly targets military objectives in Bamako,” Jezequel said, adding that the attack is “a serious blow that stresses the absolute need for serious adjustments in the Malian counter-insurgency strategy.”
The Malian army, which has partnered with Russian Wagner mercenaries to combat insurgents, suffered a major defeat in July when Tuareg rebels inflicted heavy losses at the northern outpost of Tinzawaten. The latest attack further underscores the mounting challenges facing the junta’s security efforts.
In response, the mood in Bamako has grown tense, with reports of reprisals following the attack. A Reuters reporter witnessed a mob setting a man alight in the capital, suspecting him of involvement in the violence. The United Nations also cited additional reports of vigilante justice.
As Mali grapples with the aftermath of the attack, observers await the public’s response. A diplomat in Bamako noted that the population’s reaction will be crucial: “Either they will support the regime against the jihadists or start wondering if they have the right protection they deserve.”
This brazen assault marks a pivotal moment in Mali’s ongoing conflict, raising questions about the effectiveness of the junta’s security strategies and the future of the country’s fight against insurgency.
